It's My Party
by A.G. Hart
Summary: And you'll die if I want you to. A revenge killer kidnaps Grissom. Will Nick and Alex's already struggling relationship survive? Sequel to Death and New Life. Possible character death. Please R&R. Chapters 10, 11, and epilogue are up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of its characters. I just like to write about them.

Author's note: This is the sequel to "Death and New Life." It starts after the episode "Daddy's Little Girl." None of the rest of the season happens…at least not yet

Chapter 1

A loud noise jolted him back to consciousness. His head rolled back, revealing the tightness of his neck muscles. He wondered how long his head had hung against his chest. He went to rub his neck, only to find his arms restrained to the chair he was in.

He opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. At first, he thought the dots of light amongst the darkness were tricks of his eyes. Then he realized it was caused from a fractured glass ball hanging from the ceiling casting its reflections around the room.

He let his eyes adjust to the swirling lights and then looked around. At first, he thought there were other people in the room, but after a few moments he realized the figures weren't moving; they were mannequins. They were set up in the middle of the room, dressed in party clothes, positioned as if dancing. _How strange,_ he thought.

Along the far wall he noticed a table set up. It appeared to have food and punch set out on it. It was in that moment that he heard some music in the background. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the song, but couldn't quite make out what it was.

When he reopened his eyes, he thought they were again playing a trick on him. There appeared to be movement amongst the mannequins. He closed and then reopened his eyes, only to find that there really was movement. There was someone amongst the frozen partygoers.

As the figure grew closer, he could tell it was a woman. And she looked very familiar. His eyes grew wide as she came within a few feet of him.

"Crazy how much I look like her, huh?" the woman asked.

"Crazy is an adequate description," he replied, not really talking about the similarity in looks she was referring to.

She laughed. "Think of me what you will, Mr. Grissom," she told him. "But this…this is my party…" she put her hands on his knees and leaned over so that her lips were right next to his ear. "And you'll die if I want you to," she whispered with an evil delight.

Three weeks earlier… 

Nick Stokes sat on his couch, turning over the small box in his hands. In his mind, all he could turn over were thoughts of the look in Kelly Gordon's eyes as the life left her body, a look he'd seen before. He just kept repeating to himself, _It's over, it's over._

He stopped turning over the box and opened it. He knew what he was going to find; he'd looked in the box almost every day since its contents were returned. Still, he hoped, maybe all the previous times had been a dream and this time, it would be empty. But, it was not. Inside the box sat the engagement ring he'd given Alex Hart. Their engagement was also over.

Nick kicked himself mentally for being so stubborn. If only he hadn't been so set on going to Texas for Christmas. He shut his eyes as he remembered their argument.

"Look, I've already told you, I'm going to LA with Gil for Christmas," Alex angrily said.

"But Alex, you're my fiancé. My parents are dying to meet you," Nick responded.

"And they can meet me at New Years. What's the big deal? It's only a week."

"It's Christmas! It's time to spend with family, that's the big deal," Nick tried to explain.

"Yes, and I want to spend it with _my_ family," she spit back.

"My family is your family."

"Not yet. We're not married." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on, Nick. You know this is my first Christmas with my dad. Can't you please just understand?"

It wasn't that he didn't understand. It was just that he was so excited to introduce her to his family. Why couldn't she understand that? "Alex, I do understand, but you need to understand how important my family is to me. And you are part of my family!"

She couldn't believe her ears. She got so mad she took off her ring and put it in his hand. "Not anymore. It is over." And then she stormed out.

Nick snapped the box shut, echoing the sound of the slamming door in his mind. His heart had been crushed in the door that day. He had to hide his love for her for so long, and then, when they finally get together, he screws it up. This along with the day's events was just too much. A tear slid down his cheek.

It fell onto her empty hand, the tear that had escaped her eye as Alex sat in her apartment staring at her bare finger. She hadn't worn the ring in almost a month, but she could still feel it. She knew she'd been too harsh on Nick. She knew how important his family was to him. But couldn't he understand how important her family was to her?

Still, she knew she had been wrong in some of her actions. That's why she called him half an hour after she stormed out.

The phone rang, but it was his machine that picked up, not him. "You've reached Nick. Leave me a message."

Alex sighed. "Nick, I know you're there. Please pick up." She paused for a brief moment, and then continued when she knew he wasn't going to. "I'm sorry for storming out. When I said it's over I meant the engagement, not our relationship. I love you, Nick. But maybe we just need to take things slower. Please call me. I don't…can't lose you."

Nick had wanted to pick up the phone, but his pride had stopped him. She was the one who'd given the ring back. He needed to decide if he ever wanted her to have it back. Ultimately, he knew he would never forgive himself if he let this be the end, so he called her back after he had regained his composure. But, they'd only seen each other a handful of times since then. If she wanted to take things slow, he would take things slow.

He looked at his watch. "Shit!" he swore aloud. He was going to be late for a date with Alex, not that he really felt like going out now. Seeing Kelly die brought back memories of the day he had found Alex after she had swallowed a bottle of pills. He didn't know if he could even face Alex tonight. He picked up his cell phone.

"Hey, baby," Alex answered her phone after checking the caller ID and seeing that it was Nick.

"Hey," he sighed as he responded. "About tonight…"

She could hear the sadness in his voice and wondered what had happened at work. She knew he'd been working on a case that involved the daughter of the man who'd kidnapped him. "You're not up to going out?" she finished his thought.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

"Rough day at work," she again finished his sentence. "Want me to pick up some take-out?"

He was silent for a moment and then answered, "I think I'd rather just be alone tonight."

"Oh," she responded disappointedly. "Well, I'll be home if you decide you want some company."

"Ok," he replied. "I'll talk to you soon."

Alex was saddened that Nick didn't want to go out. She really looked forward to each one of their dates because she missed the time that they used to spend together. She was also very worried. She knew if Nick wanted to spend the evening alone, he must really be hurting. She made a mental note to call Gil and ask him. It was one of the benefits of her father working with her boyfriend.

Nick shut the phone and then placed it on the coffee table in front of him. He did want to see her, to hold her, to find comfort in just being there with her, but he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to let her back in. He picked up his phone and the small box on the coffee table. He got up, stopping in the kitchen to grab the bottle of whiskey on the counter, and then continued on to his room. He figured he could stop the pain, at least for one night. Things would look better in the morning, he convinced himself.


	2. The first, but not the last

Chapter 2

Gil Grissom was sitting on the couch in his living room. In his hands he held a leather-bound book with no words printed on the cover. It was his favorite book and not just because some of it was about him.

He had received the book at Christmas from Alex. He and Alex had stopped for lunch before they got on their way to L.A. when she gave it to him. He paused for a moment to remember.

"I…I wanted to give you this while it was just us," Alex said, sliding a small wrapped package towards him.

He took the package. "Thank you." He placed it on the seat next to him.

"I was kinda hoping you'd open it now," she told him.

"Oh, ok," he replied, picking it back up. He carefully unwrapped it to find the book. At first he thought it was a journal for him to write in, because there were no markings on the cover.

"Look inside," she urged him, a smile starting to creep across her lips.

He opened the cover and on the first page he saw the inscription: _For my father, from my mother, Love Alex._ He looked up at his daughter. "Is this…?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "It's mom's writing. I had it professionally printed."

Gil was truly touched. "Thank you," he wasn't sure what else to say.

The smile had completely taken over her face. "It's the only piece of my mother I can give you."

Gil looked up from the pages that he was leafing through. "You're the greatest piece of your mother you could ever give me."

She started to tear up. It was the most thoughtful thing he'd ever said to her. "Thank you," it was barely above a whisper.

Gil knew he would never forget the look in her eyes that day. The look that told him he was more than just a scientist, more than just a name on a report. He was a father, loved unconditionally by his daughter.

The rest of their trip had gone well too. When they finally arrived in L.A., Gil's mother, Francis Grissom, was especially pleased to meet her granddaughter. She hugged Alex tightly after they had gotten through the door.

Francis hadn't known what to expect. She had been interested in meeting her granddaughter since Gil first mentioned her. Francis didn't really remember Olivia, but Gil swore to her that they met at least once. When Alex walked through the door, she almost cried to see her son's progeny.

"It's so nice to meet you," Alex spoke as she signed.

"It's nice to meet you," Francis responded.

Gil looked at Alex and asked, "When did you learn to sign?"

She smiled. "I've been practicing," she responded and signed.

Francis smiled too. She knew it was going to be an interesting Christmas.

And it was. The trio had a wonderful time getting to know one another as a family. Alex was glad not to be alone in the world again. Francis was glad she had a beautiful granddaughter. And Gil was glad everything came off well.

Gil's only regret about Christmas was the price Alex had to pay. He hadn't learned until they got back to Las Vegas that their trip had been the cause of an argument between her and Nick. Gil felt somewhat to blame because he hadn't taken Alex to meet Francis before. Ultimately, he knew they were adults and their decisions were their own.

He flipped through a few more pages, looking for one of his favorite poems. Then his cell phone rang. He answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Grissom," he picked it up.

"Hey Gil, it's Alex," she responded.

"How're you?" he asked.

"I'm alright, but I'm not calling about me," she answered.

"Nick?" he had figured she would call about the day's events.

"What happened today?" Alex questioned.

Gil paused for a moment trying to decide whether or not he should tell her. Then replied, "I think Nick needs to tell you in his own time."

"Why did I not realize that is what you were going to tell me," she rhetorically asked, a little frustrated. "At least tell me how worried I should be about him."

"He'll live," was Gil's only response.

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A couple days later, Grissom pulled up to the crime scene. A police officer that had been missing for a few days was found in an alley. Nick had been called and was already there.

As Grissom got out, he noticed the body was sitting propped up against the wall. The officer was still in uniform, which happened to be spotless. In place of his hat, though, was a cone-shaped party hat. Also in some of the folds of his shirt was some confetti.

"What's the story?" Grissom asked Nick.

"The officer's throat has been slit, but it's obvious the alley was not the site of the death," Nick replied, bringing Grissom's attention to the lack of blood at the scene.

"Any other marks on the body?" Grissom questioned.

"There's ligature marks on the wrists and ankles, so he was obviously held captive somewhere. No other marks are apparent," Nick informed him. "So David will probably have to tell us when he does the autopsy."

"What's with the party favors?"

"At this point, your guess is as good as mine," Nick answered, collecting some of the confetti for trace.

Grissom only shrugged and then got to work collecting evidence. He had a feeling this was going to be a very interesting case.


	3. Love in Progress

Chapter 3

Alex knocked on Nick's door. It had been a week since their cancelled date and she hadn't heard from him. She normally wouldn't stop by unannounced, but she felt this situation warranted some extraordinary actions.

After a minute, no one had come to the door. She assumed he was home, though, because she'd seen his car in the parking lot. She tried knocking again, this time somewhat louder. And this time she heard some movement and after another minute, the door opened.

A half-dazed and half-dressed Nick greeted her, "Hey, Alex." His words were a little muffled as he finished putting on a t-shirt. He yawned. "What're you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" she asked, not answering his question and not caring that she had obviously awakened him.

He pushed a hand through his messy hair and opened the door for her to come in. She walked in and sat down on the couch.

"It's just, you cancelled our date a week ago. You haven't returned any of my calls or e-mails. I just want to hear it from you," she answered his question.

"Hear what?" he was a little confused.

She sighed. "I want you to tell me you don't want to see me anymore. I want to hear it from you. Obviously I've irreparably harmed our relationship and now I'll just have to live with the consequences."

Nick didn't respond. He plopped down unto the opposite end of the couch from Alex. He didn't know how to tell her what had been going through his mind for the last week. "I…I'm just not ready," he finally said.

"Not ready for what?" she questioned, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Not ready for you, for us, for this," he replied, frustrated. "I thought…I thought everything was going great and then you gave me back the ring."

"And I was hasty in my decision," she broke in. "But I can't take it back. I just want to make it right."

He looked her straight in the eye. "I don't know if it can be made right." He didn't know how to explain the hurt he felt by her walking out.

"But, things had been going good," she tried to defend herself. "At least, I thought they were. But then, last week…what happened?"

It was Nick's turn to sigh. "Kelly Gordon," was his response.

"The daughter?" she tried to clarify.

He nodded. "She took a drug cocktail, convulsed and died in my arms," he told her, then put his head in his hands, trying to erase the image. "And it's all I can see when I close my eyes, except that her face turns into yours and you're the one who dies."

Her eyes grew wide in understanding. It wasn't the he didn't want to see her again, it was that he was afraid he might never see her again. "Nick," was all she could say as she moved down the couch till she was sitting next to him.

She took one of his hands in hers. "Nick," she said again, trying to get him to look up. When he didn't she ran one of her hands through his hair and pressed her forehead to his. "Nick, I love you so much and can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. So if you need time, I can give you time."

He pulled back a little. "What I need to know is that you are going to be here," he responded.

She pulled his hand and placed it over her heart. "I'm here now, Nick. And I'm not going anywhere."

He looked up and in to her eyes. She saw the hurt in them, but she also saw the love he still held for her. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.

He ended the kiss quickly, turning his head from her. She hung her head. She knew there was nothing more she could say. She stood up but before she could move a step, he stood too, blocking her path.

She was a little stunned, but at the same time relieved. He didn't want her to go and that was a good thing. She stood there, facing him, not sure what do to, especially because he still hadn't said anything.

He looked at her, ran a hand through her hair. He loved her so much, but at the same time was so scared to lose her. He slid his arms around her and held her tightly to him. She gladly returned his embrace.

This time, he initiated the kiss. It was slow and passionate. She melted in to it. It had been a while since he had kissed her like that. And it caused a deep burning desire to be kindled in her.

She removed her lips from his and placed them next to his ear. "Can we…" she cocked her head in the direction of the bedroom.

He was a little surprised by her request. Although they had taken their relationship fast emotionally, physically, they had taken it slow. So, he hesitated.

She could see the uncertainty in his eyes. She once again pressed her lips to his, pulling him in as tight as she could. Feeling her pressed against him, he gave in. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, he placed her gently on the bed. He then lay down next to her on his side so that he was facing her. She, in turn, rolled unto her side so that they were nose to nose. And then they were once again lip to lip, as they kissed.

As they kissed, she wrapped her arm around him, pulling him so that he was now lying on top of her. She stroked his back, grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and slipping it off. He, in turn, propped himself up on one hand and with the other started to unbutton her shirt.

Her heartbeat quickened as he did so. She was still very self-conscious about her scars. It was part of the reason she had wanted to take things slow. She knew they weren't of her doing, but her scars still shamed her.

When he had reached the bottom button, he slowly traced the scar on her stomach. He had never really looked at it before because she hadn't let him. He knew how she felt about it. He felt the same way about his scars; only his weren't visible like hers.

She started to remove his hand from the scar, but he wouldn't let her. He moved positions and kissed her stomach, kissed the scar. Her scars only enhanced her beauty to him. They showed her strength, her resolve.

She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back up so that they were face to face. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, kissing him. He traced her sides with his hands, feeling the anticipation in her muscles—the same anticipation coursing through him.

She once again placed her lips to his ear and breathlessly whispered, "I love you, Nick."

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He bolted upright from sleep to find he was sweating profusely. He had been having the same nightmare he'd had for the last week. He burst into Alex's apartment, only to watch her take her last breath. His heart ached from the dream's realism.

Alex moved in her sleep, causing him to be aware of her presence. He had to stare at her for a few moments before he believed she was actually there. And then, slowly, as he became more alert, he remembered the events that led to her being in his bed.

They had made love for the first time, however he still had doubts that it was the right decision. He loved Alex. He loved the way she felt, the way she tasted. But the pain was still there. The doubt still existed.

He took a couple deep breaths, slowing his rapid heartbeat. Then he laid his head back on the pillow. It seemed that as soon as he closed his eyes, his cell phone rang. He grabbed it quickly, hoping it didn't disturb Alex.

"Stokes," he answered quietly, getting out of bed and silently walking into the living room.

"Nick, it's Grissom," he responded. "They found the officer's car. I thought you'd want to be in on the processing."

"Thanks Gris—" he felt odd talking to Grissom, with Alex lying in the next room. "It'll take me about an hour to get there."

"We'll wait," Grissom replied and then hung up.

Nick shut his phone and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stepped into the warm, flowing water. He closed his eyes, picturing Alex sleeping, trying to convince himself that last night had been a step in the right direction. However, he didn't know if the night's events were going to prove to be the wave that washed away his hurt or the flood that drowned him.


	4. After and Before

Chapter 4

He walked down the same hospital hall he probably had been down a thousand times before. He had to check on a patient. He passed the nurses station, nodding at the pretty new blonde nurse. He wondered how long it would be before he convinced her to spend the night with him. And he _would_ convince her.

He turned his head to give her a smile and caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye. _It…it couldn't be_, he thought to himself as his smile faded slightly. He knew it couldn't be her. She was dead. He turned to get a better look, but when he did, there was no one there. _Guilt,_ he convinced himself, _Just guilt._

But it was more than just guilt. She was there, but she wasn't who he thought she was. She watched him turn back towards the hall, the smug look returning to his face after not seeing her. She knew it wouldn't be long before she wiped that look off of his face forever. He would pay, just like the police officer. They would all pay.

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As soon as she heard the click of the lock, Alex opened her eyes. She hadn't slept at all in Nick's bed. She had felt him bolt upright, but didn't say anything. If he had called her name, she would have answered. But he didn't, not even after she moved, so she pretended to be asleep. And she heard the call from the lab. It was odd to hear him say her father's name as she lay there.

She got up out of bed and started to collect her clothes. She had wanted to talk to Nick, but hadn't been sure how to start the after sex conversation; she'd never had one before. And he didn't seem to want to talk to her—at least not yet. So she would wait. She didn't feel right forcing herself on him for the second time that night.

As she dressed, she replayed the events in her head. She smiled at the thought of the touch of his hand, the feel of his lips on her stomach. It was wonderful yet frightful to feel complete in love for the first time, but knowing that it might not still be there tomorrow.

She debated staying until he returned, but didn't know how long that might be. She also didn't know if he would want her to be there when he returned. She decided to just leave him a note, letting him know he was welcome to come by. Alex was trying to give Nick the opportunity to make the next move. She only hoped it wasn't too long before he took it.

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Nick arrived at the lab's garage to find no one there. He hadn't thought about stopping by Grissom's office; he thought Grissom would already be there and processing. He was just about to go find Grissom when Warrick arrived.

"Hey Nick," Warrick greeted him.

"Hey 'Rick," Nick returned the greeting. "Where's Grissom?"

"Thanks," Warrick responded, feigning hurt.

Nick gave him a patronizing look.

"He had to run to a scene before some evidence crawled away," Warrick answered his question.

Nick was a little relieved. With all that had happened with Alex, he wasn't sure how comfortable he'd be around Grissom. His stomach had been in knots the entire way to the lab. He knew, however, that it was more his apprehension about what he had done than Grissom's reaction that bothered him.

Warrick noticed the change in Nick's demeanor when he found out Grissom wasn't coming. "Something going on, Nick?" he questioned.

Nick was a little taken aback by Warrick's question. He hadn't realized his emotions had been written all over his face. "I…it's…Alex," was all he could manage to say. He wasn't sure how much or how to explain what was going on.

"Ahhhh," Warrick understood. "Women."

Nick nodded. "I just don't understand her actions. She's here one minute, gone the next. Then she returns apologizing or acting like nothing happened." Nick shook his head. "I didn't think love was supposed to be this hard."

Warrick guffawed. "Love is the hardest thing in the world. And you and Alex have been through so much in the last couple years, it only makes it harder."

Nick let out a sigh as he recognized the truth in his friend's statement.

"What you have to decide," Warrick continued after a moment of silence from Nick. "Is whether or not the love you share is worth the heartache that is going to go along with it. And whether or not you two can work through all the heartache together."

After a thoughtful pause, Nick responded, "How did you get so wise, 'Rick?"

Warrick raised his left hand. "One ring to rule them all…" He laughed.

Nick laughed too. It was good a good tension breaker. "I guess we should get started."

"After you," Warrick responded.

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Grissom pulled up to the scene. A young woman had been found and it was obvious that she had been dead for more than a few days. There were some bugs that might hold some clues as to when her untimely demise had been met and that is the reason Grissom had been called.

He got out of his vehicle, grabbing his kit from the back seat of his car. Then he made his way to the body. He was aware of the gathering crowd, but oblivious to the fact that he was the star in one spectator's play.

She hid in the crowd but made sure she had a clear view of him. She had to keep her hand over her mouth to cover the grin that she couldn't suppress. She was just too pleased with herself that her plan had worked.

She hadn't meant to kill the young woman, but she didn't have a choice. The woman had gotten in the way and had to be dealt with. Afterwards, she realized it would be a good test to see if she could attract the great Dr. Grissom. And now it was apparent that she could, which was good to know for when she was ready to take him.

She stood and watched him for a good while. She was studying his movements, the movements of the officers around him. She looked for flaws, a chink in the armor. She knew she would find it, just like she had with the doctor.

_Ahhhh, the doctor,_ she thought to herself. She knew that he should still be unconscious, but would wake-up soon. She knew she would have to return and explain to him why he was there. But she had a feeling, when he saw her, he would know. And she so looked forward to the look on his face when that recognition hit him.


	5. Disillusionment

Chapter 5

Nick walked in to his apartment. He was unsure if Alex would still be there and unsure if he wanted her to be there. He and Warrick had continued their talk as they worked, but it hadn't really helped his confusion. He still couldn't figure out if this resurgence of doubt was anything more than a momentary valley brought on by the death of Kelly Gordon or if it was a mountain he would never be able to get over.

After he checked his phone messages and got himself something to drink out of the fridge, he decided he was alone. If Alex was there, he reasoned, she would have made herself known when he came in. He hated to admit it, but he was kind of relieved that she wasn't there.

He walked in to his bedroom, removing his shirt as he did so, not noticing anything in the room. He hadn't gotten much sleep and was looking forward to lying down for a little while. He sat down on the bed and removed his shoes. He started to turn around so that he could scoot back on the bed when he saw her.

Alex was lying on her side fully clothed and on top of the neatly made bed. She was curled up with her knees almost to her chest. Her face held a sad expression and he could see the traces of tears on her cheeks.

He slowly crawled up the bed so that he was next to her, but didn't wake her. He propped himself up with one arm and put the other one around her. Even in her sadness, she was one of the most beautiful women he'd seen. It was moments like these that made all his doubts disappear if only briefly.

She stirred at his touch. For a moment she was disorientated. "What? Who?" Her eyes fluttered opened.

"It's just me," Nick responded in a soothing voice.

She twisted her upper body so that she could look into his eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek. "Hey," she gave him a weak smile and turned more so that she was lying on her back.

"Hey," he responded back with a smile of his own.

"Sorry I'm still here," she apologized. "I…I tried to leave but couldn't."

"Couldn't?" Nick questioned, uncertain of what she meant.

"I made the bed," she started, her voice wavering slightly. "Wrote a note and started out the door. But I got this sinking feeling if I left," she paused, trying to steady her voice. She swallowed hard. "That if I left, I wouldn't ever see you again. So I'm still here. I hope it's ok."

Nick didn't respond. He really wasn't sure how he felt about her still being here, especially after feeling relieved when he thought she wasn't here.

"Oh," she responded after his silence spoke for him. She sat up and started to get off the bed. Her bottom lip began to quiver as her feet hit the floor.

Nick moved so that he was sitting behind her, his chest to her back with a leg on either side. He wrapped his arms around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder. He loved holding her, feeling her next to him. He loved her, but still… "Alex, I'm just…" He let out a deep breath. "I don't know what I am. I don't know how I feel."

She weakly tried to escape his embrace as she replied quietly. "I understand."

"How can you understand?" he asked rhetorically, not letting her go. "I don't even understand!"

"I've let you down, hurt you." She finally broke his grasp and stood. Then she turned to face him as she continued, "And you're only still here because you're afraid I'm not stable enough."

"Alex," he tried to rebut her, but knew she was partially correct. He didn't want her to attempt suicide again—or worse, succeed.

"I'm ok," Alex told him. "I couldn't never do that again to you, to Gil. I just need to know if it's over."

Nick grabbed her hands and pulled her back down, so that she was sitting next to him on the bed. "Alex, I still love you," he replied. "But I'm tired of getting hurt."

Alex nodded. "And I can't promise I'm never going to hurt you again."

"I know," Nick responded, his voice starting to waver. "What I don't know is if I can live with that."

Alex hung her head. "So, this is good-bye?"

Nick let out a long sigh. "Maybe."

"I…I can live with maybe," Alex replied in barely above a whisper. She lifted her head and looked in to his eyes. Then she kissed him one last time. "I'll always love you," she whispered in his ear.

As she pulled away, she saw the tears in his eyes that mirrored her own. She stood and started to leave. He lightly grasped her hand, not really wanting to let her go. She paused for a moment, not turning around, then started walking again. He let her hand slip free, knowing it was what had to be done. He knew that he wasn't ready to fully take her back and knew that it wasn't fair to keep her hanging on while he figured out if he ever could.

"I'll be there, whenever you're ready," she called and then shut the door behind her.

Nick only hoped that it was true as he heard the door latch.

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His mind slowly came back to consciousness, trying to cut through the haze in his head. The last thing he could remember was getting in to his car. After that, it was all a blur.

Once he could think semi-clearly, he attempted to open his eyes. The task, which had been so simple before, was now quite arduous. When he did finally get them open, he saw another pair of eyes looking back at him.

"So glad you're awake, Doctor," the woman whose eyes he was looking at greeted him.

He was sure his mind was playing a trick on him or that he was just having a bad dream. He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, trying to clear more of the cobwebs away. Then he opened his eyes again, to find the same woman looking back at him. He tried to will his legs to move, to get away from his specter, but found he couldn't move.

"What…what's going on?" he asked.

The woman laughed. "What do you mean, Doctor? Can't you tell?" She made a sweeping gesture indicating the room. There were figures standing in the middle of the room. A disco ball hung from the ceiling, casting its light on the wall. There appeared to be a table with refreshments to one side. "It's a party, and you're the guest of honor."

"But…but you're…dead," he tried to convince the woman this wasn't real.

"Tsk, tsk, Doctor," the woman replied. "Can you really not tell the women you sleep with apart?"

He let out a laugh of relief mixed with fear. "So you're not—?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "No. But you're going to join her soon."

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"Did you find anything in the vehicle?" Grissom asked Nick and Warrick as they were sorting through some evidence.

Warrick shook his head. "Not a thing."

"Whoever cleaned that vehicle, did it with a fine-tooth comb. There wasn't a stray hair, fingerprint, or fiber anywhere," Nick added.

Both Grissom and Warrick had noticed that Nick was looking a little ragged. But neither of them wanted to ask, or needed to ask really, what had caused the change in his demeanor. Grissom had already heard from Alex that she and Nick had broken up. Ever the professional, though, he didn't let it hinder his work. Warrick had pretty much figured it out after their conversation the other day.

"Any luck with the confetti?" Grissom inquired.

"According to Hodges, it's just your average, everyday confetti available at almost any store that sells party supplies," Nick informed him and then asked, "Find out anything at the autopsy?"

"Death by exsanguination, his throat was slit from ear to ear," Grissom replied. "There were the restraint bruises that you noticed at the scene and one small puncture wound on his neck. Tox found traces of a sedative in his system. Other than that, nothing probative."

Nick shook his head. "The man spends his life protecting people and in the end there's no one to protect him."

"Lady Justice doesn't wear a blindfold for nothing," Grissom replied.


	6. Too much or Never Enough

Chapter 6

Alex had thought she was doing the right thing by saying good-bye to Nick. She was sure that if she just gave him some space, he would realize that he did want to be with her, that he could forgive her. She knew that he had a lot on his mind and maybe a little bit more time to clear it would do him some good.

She had stayed strong and kept herself busy working on her resume, rearranging her furniture, anything to keep her mind occupied. She was pleased that she had stood by her decision and didn't call or contact him. She only hoped it was the right one. And she had done well…for about a week.

On the sixth day, she awakened from a nightmare with her heart pounding. She had dreamt that Nick had gotten married to someone else and totally forgot about her. She couldn't stand the idea of never seeing him again. But she knew that sooner or later she might have to find a way to live with that. Today, however, was not that day.

She spent the day doing anything she could to try and keep her mind off of Nick. She went to a movie, but one of the characters looked like Nick. She went shopping, but kept finding things—like the shirt the looked like Nick's favorite, or the dress that was similar to the one she wore when he proposed—that reminded her of him. It seemed no matter where she went she just couldn't escape him. She knew one place, however, she could drown him out, if only for one night.

So, on the stool at O'Leary's she sat, downing beer after beer. She knew there were better ways, but tonight, she didn't care. Unfortunately, the more she drank, the more she thought about Nick. She thought about what she should have said to him, what she should have done about Christmas, what she would say to him the next time she saw him. And, before she knew it, she was plastered and causing a ruckus at the bar. In fact, she was causing such a ruckus, that the owner of the bar decided to make a call.

"Hey pretty boy," the beer-bellied bar owner said in to the receiver with a smile. It was his nickname for the younger man. "This is Jimmy from over at O'Leary's. I have a lady over here that is three sheets to the wind and is causing a fuss…Well, she says her dad works at the crime lab, but you're the only one I know that works there…Alexandria Hart is the name on the card she's paying her tab with…Ok, I'll try and keep her here," Jimmy told him, running his hand through what little hair he had left and then hung up.

About twenty minutes later, he was sitting down on the stool next to her. It took a couple more minutes for Alex to notice he was there.

"Greg! What are you doing here?" she sloppily said when she finally noticed him, slapping him on the arm.

"I'm here to take you home," Greg replied with a small smile. He could tell she was quite drunk.

"How…how did you know I was here?" she asked suspiciously, slightly slurring her words.

Greg pointed towards Jimmy who was standing at one end of the bar. "Jimmy's an old friend. He called me."

"I don't need a ride," Alex defiantly responded, her mood changing quickly due to the alcohol.

"Well, I need someone to accompany me home, then," Greg rephrased himself.

Alex thought for a moment and then responded, "Ok." She grabbed her jacket and stood up. And then almost fell down.

Greg caught her before she dropped too far. "Whoa, there," he said as he helped her stand. A memory flashed through his mind of the night, months ago, when they had run into each other at a different club. They had shared their last kiss that night due to his jealousy over Nick. He had gotten over it, though, knowing that Alex and Nick were truly happy together.

"Maybe…maybe I do need some help," Alex let out a small laugh that turned in to a sob. "A lot of help," she added through her sobs as they made their way out.

Once they were out of the bar, Greg noticed that Alex still had a troubled look on her face. "What's going on?" he asked once they were both seated in his car.

"Nick," she whimpered. "We…we broke up."

"What?!" Greg exclaimed. He was surprised, partly because no one at the lab had told him this and partly because he knew how much Alex and Nick belonged together. "What happened?"

"He…he can't get over me breaking up our engagement," she cried.

Greg had known Nick was upset over Alex giving back the ring, however, he hadn't known that it had troubled Nick _that_ bad. Of course, he should have figured that Nick wouldn't have told him how upset he was for fear that Greg might try and steal Alex back. Greg would always love Alex, but after seeing her with Nick, he knew that he wasn't the right one for her and had come to terms with that reality—or was at least trying to really hard.

"But, I thought you two were doing well," Greg responded.

"Me too," Alex replied, trying not to cry. "But…Kelly Gordon…."

"Ooohhhhh," Greg hadn't thought about how Kelly Gordon might affect things. Greg could only guess that Nick must be having some flashbacks after Kelly Gordon died in his arms and if Nick were already more than hurt over Alex breaking their engagement, it would have only exacerbated Nick's despair. "I'm sure Nick just needs some time," Greg tried to be positive for her sake.

Alex shook her head. "I don't think he'll ever want me again," she sniffled.

Greg took her hand, leaving his other on the wheel to steer. "It will be alright," he assured her. And he would do his damnedest to make sure it was alright. He continued to listen as Alex cried out all her fears.

When they got to her apartment complex, Greg helped Alex out of the car and to her apartment. To Greg, it seemed like Alex would topple over at any moment. And he knew someone needed to be there to catch her. As much as he relished being close to her again, he wished Nick could be the one here for her, to see what he was doing to her.

"Thank you for listening to me blubber," Alex stated as she awkwardly opened her door. Then she looked at Greg and gave him a sly smile, remembering the good times they used to have. "So do you…do you want to come in?"

Greg saw the flash in her eyes and knew she didn't want him to come in for coffee. He also knew it was the alcohol talking and so replied, "I think it's best that you lie down and get some sleep."

"Come on," she grabbed his arm. "Come in. I'm not tired."

Greg smiled slightly. He wanted to go in, but knew the threshold of her apartment was a line he was not going to cross. Her friendship and Nick's meant much more than a night of drunken lust. "I really have to go," he told her and took a few steps back. "You get some sleep."

Alex pouted a little, but then had a moment of clarity. "You're right. I need some sleep. Have a good night."

"You too," Greg responded and started towards his car.

"And Greg," she called after him, a brief bout of sobriety making clear what almost happened. "Really, thank you for being such a good friend."

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Nick had spent his last six days very differently than Alex had spent hers. Nick had spent his time sifting through evidence, trying to find something to help figure out who killed the police officer. He was also working on the dead woman that had been found while he and Warrick were processing the police officer's vehicle.

The woman had a lot more evidence to process than the officer. They quickly found out her name was Morgan Huff, an RN who had last been seen about seven days before she was found. Her coworkers had reported her missing, but there were no signs of a struggle or foul play, so nothing was done. Adults were allowed to vanish if they so wished. Unfortunately, she didn't vanish of her own accord.

Her cause of death was strangulation. The marks on her neck indicated that someone choked her with the necklace she was wearing. Skin was found under her fingernails and DNA was run. They also found what appeared to be a semen stain in her underwear, but the sexual activity appeared to be consensual due to a lack of trauma. This sample, too, was tested for DNA.

The results of the DNA tests were a bit of a surprise and a bit of a second chance. Both samples came back to one man: Vincent Lurie. Of course, just because he was the last one to have sex with her it didn't mean that he was the one that killed her. After all, at his last murder, Dr. Lurie had left no evidence. Grissom, however, hoped maybe this time he had made a mistake and Debbie Marlin might finally get some justice.

Grissom, Nick and Warrick found their search for Dr. Lurie a bit disappointing but still intriguing. Dr. Lurie hadn't been seen since about two days after Morgan Huff had disappeared. This wasn't too much of a surprise to his coworkers because he had a two-week vacation planned. They were, however, in for a revelation when they found out that Dr. Lurie had never made his flight. And it wasn't until the sixth day that his whereabouts were at least somewhat known.

"I've got some interesting information for you," Wendy said to Nick and Grissom as she walked in to the lab where they were working on the clothing from some body parts that had been found.

Both men looked up at her in unison, but it was Nick who spoke first. "About the body parts?" he questioned.

Wendy nodded. "Turns out, they are our missing Dr. Lurie."

Grissom raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"Did the test twice just be certain," she assured him.

"Thanks Wendy," Nick replied, giving Grissom a questioning look.

"So, did Ms. Huff get killed and then by coincidence Dr. Lurie, did Dr. Lurie kill Ms. Huff and then get killed or did the same person kill them both?" Grissom spoke his wonderings out loud.

"Well, Dr. Lurie was seen after Ms. Huff disappeared, so if they were killed by the same person, they got taken at different times," Nick pointed out. "He might have been killed by someone who suspected he killed her."

Grissom paused for a moment to ponder what Nick had just said.

"There are just too many questions and not enough evidence," Nick broke the silence.

"Then let's find some," Grissom responded, turning his attention back to the evidence at hand.


	7. Cold Hard Truth

Author's Note: I know in the first chapter I mention that Nick lived in an apartment. However, after reviewing the second season, I've come to the realization that Nick lives in a house. Sorry for the inconsistency.

Chapter 7

Greg walked in to the break room and spotted Nick in the corner. He'd been trying to find a moment alone with Nick for the last four days, but between the three dead bodies with few clues and all the new scenes popping up, it'd been impossible. So, he was glad that he would finally get his chance.

Nick sat there stewing about the cases that vexed him, while trying to eat something. His mind so wrapped up with them, he hadn't even noticed that Greg had entered.

"Hey Nick," Greg greeted him.

"Hey, Greg," Nick replied, looking up at him.

"You got a minute?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" Nick responded, glad for a small diversion from work.

"It's about you breaking up with Alex," Greg started.

Nick's face quickly turned to a frown. Alex was the one diversion he really didn't want to talk about and especially not with Greg. He'd done his best not think about her since his last conversation with her. "Listen, I don't really want to—"

Greg held up his hand to stop Nick. "Don't be the same jerk I was. You can't just let her walk out of your life. You'll regret it. And I should know."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I would have thought you'd be happy about this."

"Happy? Why?" Greg questioned. "Because then maybe she'd take me back? Be happy with second place? I don't think so. I want her to be happy and you're the one who makes her happy—or at least you used to."

Nick's anger started to grow. "You don't know a damn thing about my relationship with Alex."

"I know that four days ago she was so heartbroken that she tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol," Greg evenly replied. He knew the rest of the story wouldn't help his cause at the moment. Plus, he didn't want to fight with Nick. "She loves you, Nick. She's lost without you. Can't you just give her another chance?"

Nick took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn't realize that Alex had been so broken up about everything. She had seemed okay when she left his apartment. But, she must have made quite an impression on Greg for him to come to Nick like this. "It's just not that easy."

"Then make it that easy," Greg told him. "Don't live every day wondering how you let her slip through your hands. Because if you think this is hard, trust me, getting over her is much harder."

"It's just not that easy," Nick repeated, shaking his head. He had never thought about getting over her. In truth, he hadn't really thought much about the future at all—with or without her. He only knew that right now, he was hurting and she was part of the reason.

"Hurts heal. Pain eases. But your heart isn't going to forget her," Greg replied.

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Alex had risen the day after her attempt to drown out her sorrows with a horrible hangover. Her head throbbed, her throat was parched and her regret weighed heavy on her. She couldn't believe she'd come on to Greg, but at least he had the good sense to be a gentleman.

She had spent most of the day in bed, knowing no one would really miss her. Nick hadn't spoken to her since that day she left his apartment. Gil had been wrapped up in a case, as usual. Even Lindsey, who once used to call her every other day, had found some new friends and rarely spoke to her now.

By the second day she felt better. Her mind was clearer and so was her heart. She knew what she needed to do, and what she needed to do was leave Las Vegas. This time, however, she would let everyone know where she was going. Now, she just had to figure out how to tell Nick—and it took her another two days to figure that out.

Alex strolled up the walk to Nick's front door. She had parked a couple houses down, not wanting to see if Nick's car was in the driveway. She just wanted to see if he would answer the door. What happened after she knocked was fate's privy.

She knocked and then held her breath. She was trying to be as silent as possible to see if she could hear any movement inside. After a few moments of not getting a response she knocked again.

After not getting an answer and not hearing anything inside, she took the letter out of her pocket and stuck it in the door. If this was the way it was meant to be, then this was the way it was meant to be. She could only hope Nick wouldn't be angry that her good-bye was on paper.

She hung her head as she turned around and started back towards her car. She was a little disappointed. She had hoped to see him again before she left. Not that she was even sure he would want to talk to her. That's why she had prepared the letter.

Before she realized what happened, she bumped in to something. Thinking she had wandered off the walk and hit a tree or something, she quickly took a step back. She took another step back as she looked to find that she had actually bumped in to Nick. Only this time, when she stepped her foot landed on a loose rock, causing her to lose her balance and she fell to the ground.

Nick was surprised to see her and stood for a moment in shock looking at her. Then he quickly offered his hand to help her up. "Are you ok?"

She looked at her left hand that she had used to cushion her fall. "It looks like I'm cut slightly," she bent her wrist in a couple directions to see if it was sprained. "But otherwise I'm alright."

"What…what are you doing here?" Nick asked, leading her towards the door.

She quickly removed the letter before he could get it. "I needed to talk to you," she answered him.

"That's coincidental," he replied, an odd look in his eyes. "I just came from your house. I wanted to talk to you."

Alex gave him an apprehensive look. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. She wasn't even sure what would be good or bad with the decision she had made. She only nodded and followed him inside.

After they were inside, Nick had disappeared into the bathroom to get some bandages and something to clean her cut with. She felt strangely uncomfortable and paced near the couch. She knew this was going to be a lot harder to do in person and almost wished he hadn't shown up. Deep down, she was glad he had come home—maybe he would give her a reason to stay.

"Here we go," he said, motioning for her to sit down on the couch and she obeyed. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her and lightly grabbed her hand. He paused slightly, his eyes drifting to the finger that once held an engagement ring and then he started cleaning her wound.

"So you wanted to talk to me?" she asked, noticing how gentle he was being while caring for her hand. After everything that had happened, she half-expected him to pour alcohol on it and make her take the pain. But, as it was, he lightly dabbed the cut, blowing on it to help ease the pain.

"Yeah," he nodded as he replied. "I had an interesting conversation with Greg today."

Alex stiffened. She swallowed the lump in her throat and then questioned, "With Greg?"

Again Nick nodded. "It was very…eye-opening. And it got me thinking."

"Well, I guess it shouldn't scare me that much if it made you want to talk to me," she said with a slight smile.

He finished bandaging her hand and then lightly kissed it. "I'm sorry I've been so…" he wasn't sure what the right word was. "Quiet?"

She cupped his cheek with the hand he had just kissed. "The moment you said hi to me all the silence was forgotten," she told him, tears glistening in her eyes.

His heart broke from the look in her eyes. Nick hadn't realized how much his silence had hurt her. And he knew what he was going to tell her would hurt her even deeper. "Don't forgive me yet," he replied.

Her hand didn't leave his face. She could only guess by his statement that he had come to the same conclusion that she had. "What is it?" she inquired, bracing herself for the words he was going to speak.

"We need…I need to take the maybe off of our good-bye," he quietly told her, looking at their feet. "I can't say that I'll be ready tomorrow or next week, next month or even next year. And it's not fair to either one of us to keep hanging on." He paused, expecting her to protest, loudly, but all he received was silence. He looked up to see if her expression revealed what she was thinking.

She was nodding her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We need space, time, to heal," she agreed with him. "That's what I was coming to tell you. I'm leaving Vegas and going back East."

"Back East?" Nick repeated, a little surprised. He knew that they needed space, but he didn't think thousands of miles were required.

She could tell by the expression on his face that the idea of her moving across the country didn't sit well with him. "I can't be here, in this city, knowing that you are so close, but that I'm unable to see you, talk to you. At least with a few states between us, there's a good reason," she answered him.

Nick didn't want to be the reason she left Vegas. He didn't want to come between her and Grissom. "What about Grissom?"

"What about Gil?" she replied. She was just as frustrated with her father. "You and I both know that Gil has always been more good intention than follow through where his personal life is concerned."

Nick couldn't argue; he agreed with her. "What about your friends? The last year of your life?"

She sighed. "I'd rather forget most of the last year," she responded, trailing her hand over the light scar on her cheek. "But I can't. And, unfortunately, neither can most of the people within a hundred mile radius, so I can't get a job here. If I move, it'll be a lot easier."

Nick let out a deep breath. "You're right," he conceded, as he pondered the warring feelings with in him. He hated the thought of her leaving, but his heart couldn't welcome her back. He didn't know when—or if—he would be able to open his heart back to her, but always thought when he did, she would be close at hand.

She could see the torment in his eyes and then took his hands in hers. "This wasn't an easy decision, Nick. Please don't think it was. I just…I just need a fresh start."

"Then you should take it," he told her as he stood, trying to make himself believe the words he had just uttered, needing a little of that space they had been talking about.

She stood as well, causing them to be closer together as they were wedged between the couch and the coffee table. She looked up in to his beautiful, emotion-filled eyes and almost recanted everything she had just said. Instead, she took a step back, carefully. "I guess I should get going."

He nodded as he moved to the side. "I'm going to miss you," he said in barely above a whisper as she passed him.

She heard nonetheless and stopped, throwing her arms around him. "I will always love you, Nick."

"Love you, too," he replied in the same quiet voice.

She let go after another tight squeeze and started towards the door. "Good-bye," she had to force the words out. Then she disappeared out the door and out of his life.

Nick let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding as he sank back on to the coffee table. He missed her already and knew this was going to be every bit as hard as Greg had said. He also knew that it was what was best. He knew she deserved to be loved by someone who could love her with all his heart and right now, that person wasn't him. Maybe someday, but that day was not today.


	8. Loss

Chapter 8

A few days later Nick was anxiously pacing outside the DNA lab. He knew the results from the hand that was found should be in. And it wasn't whom the hand belonged to—he was confident it was Dr. Lurie's—it was the biological material found under the fingernails that had him excited. It might lead them to the killer. Or it could just be from Morgan Huff.

To his great relief, Wendy came out of the DNA lab with a file in hand. "Please, tell me you got something," Nick said as she handed him the report.

"I got something," she responded with a pleased smiled.

"The hand is Dr. Lurie's," Nick read the report results aloud. "But no match on the biologicals under the nails." The news was interesting, but still disappointing.

"It says no direct match," Wendy corrected him. "So, I spread the net a little wider." She flipped the page for him and showed him the results.

"A sister to Debbie Marlin?" Nick questioned the conclusion.

"Double-checked it as always," Wendy replied, nodding her head.

"Thanks, Wendy," he said as he walked down the hall to Grissom's office. He had to know if Grissom had talked to a sister when Debbie was killed, one who now might be doing some killing of her own.

Nick was a little surprised when he found Grissom's office empty. He hadn't realized the older man had left. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Grissom's number. _That's odd_, he thought as the call went straight to voice mail. Then, thinking he was possibly out at a scene where there was no signal, Nick went to find Sara. She had worked on the case with Grissom and might know about Debbie Marlin's sister.

Nick soon found Sara in one of the labs. "Hey Sara," Nick greet her.

"What's up, Nick?" Sara replied.

"Do you remember much about the Debbie Marlin case?" he asked.

"How could I forget it," Sara told him. "What do you want to know about it?"

"Did Debbie Marlin have a sister?" he inquired.

Sara cocked her head to the side in thought for a moment. "She had a sister in Seattle, but she never made it to Vegas. If I remember correctly, she had a breakdown when she found out about her sister."

"Did you get a name?" Nick hopefully questioned.

Sara thought for another moment and then replied, "I can't remember off the top of my head, but I'm sure it's in the file."

"Then off to get the file I go," Nick told her as he turned to leave.

Sara looked back at what she had been working on and then returned her gaze to Nick, who was just about to step out the door. "Want some help?" she asked, thinking whatever it was he was working on had to be more interesting than what she was currently doing.

An hour later the pair was sitting in an empty room, each with part of the file before them, searching for the page that contained Debbie Marlin's sister's name. As they had searched for the file, Nick had filled Sara in on why he was looking for the woman's name.

"That's weird," Sara thought aloud.

"What is?" Nick inquired.

"The police officer who was killed, Hanson, he was one of the officers that found the body," Sara informed him, handing him the report.

"Ok, this is getting creepy," Nick said after glancing over the report. "The other officer, Jordan, he was killed about six months ago in Reno. His brother is an acquaintance of mine."

"So that makes two officer and our chief suspect dead," Sara summed up the information.

"And a sister's whose DNA was found on one of the dead men," Nick added.

"Does Grissom know about this?"

Nick shook his head. "I tried to locate him when I got the DNA results, but I couldn't get a hold of him."

"Couldn't get a hold of him?" Sara pulled out her phone and dialed Grissom's number only to have it go straight to voice mail. "Voice mail?"

Nick shrugged. "I figure he's at a scene with no signal."

"Probably," Sara let it go, but not before she left a message.

"We need to find her name and her location…fast," Nick replied, scanning the file with a little more urgency.

It took them another half an hour to find the woman's name amongst the papers: Julie Marlin. Julie was a vet in Seattle. The pages indicated that Julie had a nervous breakdown when she learned of Debbie's death and went to a mental facility, never making to Las Vegas, not even for the funeral.

The pair decided to separate tasks, figuring they could work faster that way. Sara took to tracking down what happened to Julie Marlin. Nick spent his time finding out more details about Jordan's death and tracking down the rest of the law enforcement members mentioned in the file—just to make sure they were all breathing.

A few hours later, Sara and Nick met to compare notes. Nick found out that Jordan's death was a little odd. Jordan was looking in to a noise complaint at an abandoned building. When he didn't come back after a few hours, another officer was sent to look after him. Jordan was found dead, amidst a party—punch bowl, confetti, balloons and all. With no other probable explanation, the investigator figured that some teens were having a party that Officer Jordan stumbled upon and the teens killed him for disrupting them. No arrest was ever made.

Nick also found that one other person mentioned in the file has been killed. An EMT named George Hudson had relocated to Denver about eight months after Debbie Marlin's death. A few months later he died in a hit and run. The only odd thing at the scene was some gold glitter, but it could have been there before the accident and so it wasn't given a second thought, even though it was mentioned in the police report.

Sara had found out that Julie Marlin spent six months in the mental facility. When she was released, she stayed in Seattle for a couple more months and then disappeared in a rental car. The car was found three and a half months later broken down on the side of the highway outside of Salt Lake City. Another three months later she was ticketed in Bakersfield for running a stop sign, but the officer didn't run a check on her because in the middle of the stop he was called away to a bank robbery. Then there was no trace of her until her DNA was found under Dr. Vincent Lurie's fingernails.

"Have you heard from Grissom?" Nick asked after Sara had finished.

Sara shook her head, worry lining her forehead. "I thought maybe you had."

"I haven't either," Nick replied. "But I know he's going to want to know this information as soon as possible. Maybe Catherine knows where he is."

Just as they headed towards the door Sara's phone rang. "I've got to take this," she told him after looking at the caller ID. "You go ahead, I'll catch up."

Nick nodded and then headed towards Catherine's office. Just as he had reached the door, he heard a familiar voice down the hall.

"Is Gil Grissom here?" Alex asked the receptionist.

Nick froze where he stood. He thought she had already left Vegas and was a little surprised to see her. Nick was debating going to ask Alex about Grissom, when Catherine, who was on the phone, waved Nick in to her office. He stepped in, and so couldn't hear whatever the receptionist told Alex.

"What do you mean he's not there…What do you mean you didn't call him…He left for the scene five hours ago…Well, if you hear from him, please tell him to check in." Catherine hung up her phone and then turned towards Nick. "You haven't heard from Grissom recently, have you?"

Nick shook his head. "I was actually about to ask you the same thing. I even tried his cell phone and it's going straight to voice mail."

Concern creased Catherine's brow. "He was supposed to be going to a scene to collect some insects, but they just told me he's not there and they didn't even call him."

"This is very not like him," Nick replied. "And what worries me more is what Sara and I found out about some of the recent murders."

"And that is?" Catherine questioned.

Nick quickly summed up everything he and Sara had learned in the last few hours. And he threw in his concerns that maybe Grissom had been taken by this crazy woman. He hadn't mentioned them to Sara because he was afraid of her reaction. Plus he knew that Catherine would shed some logic on his mixed up feelings.

Catherine was about to throw in her two cents when the phone on her desk buzzed. She picked it up, "Catherine Willows…Ok, I'll be right there."

"What's up?" Nick asked.

"Alex is up front and wants to talk to me," she told him. Then she hesitantly added, "Did you want to come?"

Nick shook his head. "We've already said our good-byes. This is probably just her last stop before she leaves."

"Probably," Catherine responded as she exited the room.

"Catherine, thank you for speaking with me. I know how busy you are," Alex greeted her friend.

"Not a problem," Catherine replied. "What can I do for you?"

"You haven't seen Gil recently, have you?" she asked. Then she quickly added, "He was supposed to meet me two hours ago for dinner, and I expected him to be a little late because he called about five hours ago and told me he had been asked to assist at a scene. But not by two hours…and when I try to call it goes straight to voice mail."

Catherine frowned. She had thought Nick was just being overly cautious about Grissom's lack of communication because of what had happened to him, but with this new information she was beginning to think maybe Nick was right.

"Oh god," Alex exhaled as she saw Catherine's face darken. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe we should talk in my office," Catherine suggested as she started to lead Alex in that direction.

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"I've got to take this," she told Nick after looking at the caller ID on her cell phone. It was Grissom's number. She didn't know why she didn't tell Nick. She just felt a light flutter in her heart that he had decided to call her first. "You go ahead, I'll catch up."

Nick headed towards Catherine's office as Sara head towards an empty lab. "Hey Gris," she answered her phone.

"Debbie?" a woman's voice replied.

"This is Sara. Who is this?" Sara asked, a little confused.

The woman's voice laughed. "Ha ha, Debbie. This is your sister," the woman told her.

The light clicked on in Sara's head. "Julie?"

"Do you have any other sisters?" Julie playfully replied.

"How…how did you get my number?" Sara's pulse quickened.

"Gil. He had your picture and your number on his phone. He told me you were going by Sara now. Why did you change your name?"

Thoughts rushed through Sara's head. She needed to try and find out where she was, if Grissom was still ok. "Where are you, Julie? I'd love to see you again," Sara responded, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I'd love to see you again too. I've been so lonely since you—" Julie gasped as the thought dawned on her. "You're dead!" she screamed in to the phone and then threw it across the room.

"Shit!" Sara swore aloud as she heard the phone hit the wall a second before it went dead. She rushed from the lab towards Catherine's office. She paused as she hit the doorway, surprised to find Alex there with Catherine.

Both Alex and Catherine looked to Sara expectantly. Normally, Sara wouldn't have said anything in front of a civilian, but Alex was going to find out sooner or later and this couldn't wait for her to convince Alex to leave the room. "Grissom's been kidnapped!"


	9. A Glimmer of Hope

Chapter 9

It had been an hour since Grissom had first awaken to find himself bound amidst a party of mannequins. After his brief exchange with Julie Marlin, she had left him alone. His thoughts scattered from how much she looked like Debbie to his regret over never having been able to bring her killer to justice. The death and dismemberment of Dr. Lurie was no longer a coincidence; it was a planned revenge. And Grissom knew from his current situation, he would soon suffer the same fate it he didn't find a way out.

A chance came when Julie returned to him, asking about some photos of a crime scene on his phone. Apparently, she had been looking through his phone and stumbled upon them. 

"Why do you have a picture of my sister?" Julie angrily asked, shoving the phone in front of Grissom's face. 

It took Grissom's eyes a minute to focus on the picture. He saw Sara to the side and knew that's whom Julie must be talking about. "That's Sara," he replied.

"It's Debbie," Julie insisted. "Tell me why you have this picture?"

Grissom thought for a moment. He figured if she believed it really was her sister, maybe she might try and call her. And if she called Sara, then maybe they could triangulate the signal and find him. "I know her," Grissom answered truthfully.

Julie's jaw dropped. "Do you have her number?"

"It's under Sara," Grissom responded.

Julie quickly found Sara in his contacts and dialed. "Debbie?" Julie asked into Grissom's cell phone. "Ha ha, Debbie. This is your sister…Do you have any other sisters…Gil. He had your picture and your number on his phone. He told me you were going by Sara now. Why did you change your name…I'd love to see you again too…I've been so lonely since you-" Julie gasped as the thought dawned on her. "You're dead!" she screamed in to the phone and then threw it across the room.

Grissom was surprised at the force with which she threw the phone and watched as the phone shattered when it hit the wall. He held his breath not knowing what Julie would do now.

Julie got up in Grissom's face. "What the hell are you trying to do?" She pulled her arm back like she was going to hit him, then stopped herself. "No, no, no," she said quietly under her breath, chastising herself. She stepped back from him.

Grissom let out his breath slowly. He was trying not to make any sudden movements. Still, she quickly changed her emotions and closed the distance between them. Without warning she backhanded him across the cheek extremely hard. He felt the sting immediately.

"You're a tricky one, I'll give you that," Julie told him as she withdrew again and paced in front of him. "But that's all I'll give you," she added and then left. She returned a moment later with some duct tape and placed a few pieces over his mouth, laughing as she did so.

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"Grissom's been kidnapped!" Sara exclaimed.

Alex's eyes opened wide. She had hoped Gil would have a reason for missing their dinner, but this was not what she wanted. 

"What?" Catherine incredulously asked.

"I-I just got a call from his cell phone, but it wasn't him, it was Julie Marlin," Sara explained.

"Dammit," Catherine hit her desk. "Sara, get a trace on that call. Tell Nick to get Grissom's phone records to see if any other calls were made on it and what calls were made to it."

Sara nodded and left Catherine's office.

"What can I do?" Alex asked.

"Nothing," Catherine told her. "You are a civilian."

"But, Gil is my father," Alex tried to persuade Catherine.

"I can't compromise anything we do," Catherine replied.

Alex sighed. She understood, she really did, she just didn't agree. She was an FBI agent not so long ago. Then again, she was also arrested for murder no so long ago, too. "Can I at least stick around the lab?"

"Grissom's office, the break room, and the lobby only. And don't let Ecklie see you," Catherine answered.

Alex nodded and then left Catherine's office. She knew that ever since she had been a murder suspect, Ecklie was not very fond of her, so she appreciated Catherine saying she could stay. She wanted to be around when they found out something.

She spent half an hour in Grissom's office. She had figured it would be the best place to cry without anyone seeing her. Her worry had overwhelmed her since Sara spoke some of the most horrible words Alex had ever heard. She had been able to keep herself together just long enough so that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of Catherine and Sara. God knew she had done that way too many times before.

After she had felt clam enough, she left Grissom's office and headed for the break room. Since Grissom had been late, she hadn't gotten to eat. She just wanted to find something to tide her over, at least for a few more hours. 

She grabbed something from the machines and sat in the most obscure corner of the room. She was just looking for someway to hide in case Ecklie came in, which she highly doubted he would. From what she had known and experienced from Ecklie, he wasn't the type to mix with the commoners. 

Alex had been in the break room about fifteen minutes when Nick came in. She could tell he was preoccupied because he hadn't even noticed her. He walked over to the drink machine and put in his money, but didn't get anything from the machine. He hit the machine a few times and swore under his breath.

"What did that poor machine do to you?" Alex inquired, getting up and walking over to the machine.

Nick turned to look at her and smiled slightly. "It's in league with the stupid cell phone company that is giving me shit about getting Grissom's cell phone records."

Alex made a frustrated noise. "Don't they know how important those records are?" she rhetorically asked as she hit the machine and his drink came out. She smiled and quickly added, "Now maybe it will tell the cell phone company what it has coming if it doesn't cooperate."

"Thanks," he laughed, reaching down to take the drink.

As he was straightening himself, his eyes caught hers. They both froze. He could see the emotion in her eyes and she could see the pain in his. After a couple moments, Nick was the first to look away.

"How come you're still here?" he asked, cursing himself after he said it. He didn't mean for it to come out the way he knew it sounded. And, by the look on Alex's face, he knew she wasn't happy about it either.

"I didn't know my presence bothered you so much," she angrily replied, then turned to leave. If he didn't want her here, she wouldn't be.

He grabbed her arm. "I didn't mean it like that," he told.

She pulled her arm away and then crossed both in front of her. She turned to face him. "Then how did you mean it?"

"I just thought you'd left already. I was wondering if something had happened to your plans," Nick explained.

Her face softened. "Actually, I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow and tonight was supposed to be my good-bye dinner with Gil. That's how I knew something was wrong when Gil didn't show for dinner."

Nick nodded. It would make sense that Grissom would be her last good-bye. He set his drink down and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry that your last day in Las Vegas has sucked so bad."

Alex returned his embrace, giving him a light squeeze. "It's only bearable because of you." She laid her head against his shoulder.

He savored the feel of her head against his shoulder. In that one moment, it seemed like all the pain and hurt from the past had melted away. But another moment later, they separated quickly as they heard someone clearing their throat. Both turned to see who it was.

"They've got a location on a signal," Sara told them. "We're going to start searching the neighborhood were it originated."

Both Alex and Nick started towards Sara. 

"Whoa," Sara stopped Alex. "Catherine told you, you can't come."

Alex frowned. "But-"

"No buts," Nick sided with Sara. "You know why you can't come."

Alex gave him a nasty look. "You don't contr-"

"We don't have time for this," Sara snapped. "Why don't you just go home? We'll call you as soon as we find him."

Alex knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with the two of them. She also knew that Gil's time was probably very limited. So, she decided to appease them. "As soon as you find him," Alex said.

"I'll call you," Nick responded. 

Alex let out a sigh and held up her hands. "Fine, go. I'll be good." 

Nick wasn't sure if she was being honest, but he didn't have time to find out. They had to find Grissom. He would just have to the hardest thing for him-trust her.

. 


	10. Death and Life

Chapter 10

Nick and Sara had split up while going door to door in the neighborhood where the signal that would lead to Grissom had originated. Unfortunately the area was overrun with houses and duplexes and it was taking them longer than anyone liked to locate him. Sara let out a sigh as she walked up to the next door with an officer a few steps behind. Nick was on the other side of the street doing the same thing.

Sara, wearing a baseball cap, put her head down as she saw a woman's hand on the door. She was sporting the baseball cap just incase she found Julie Marlin. She didn't want Julie to recognize her—at least not right away. But just a hat wasn't enough.

Inside the home, Julie looked through the peephole and recognized Sara right away.

Julie laughed silently to herself. She knew that Sara thought she was incognito. What a laugh that was. What made this even funnier was that her next target had showed up at her door. How lucky could she get?

Sara showing up would make her ahead of schedule, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth? Sara was here, now, she'd just have to move up her timetable. However, she couldn't do anything unless she got Sara away from the officer. Two on one was not fun, so Julie just watched for a few minutes to see what was going to happen.

Sara started to turn away from the door after knocking a few more times and receiving no answer. Office Harrison was already down the steps and halfway down the sidewalk when the door creaked open. Julie wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. Sara heard the door and had just started to turn when she felt a pair of hands grab her vest and jerk her inside. The officer didn't notice until he heard the door close. By then, it was too late.

Sara quickly found herself slammed face first into a wall opposite the door; her head causing a loud thump as it make contact. The next sound that was heard was the door slamming shut and someone sliding the security bar across the door.

As Sara regained her senses, she remembered her weapon. She went to grab it, only to find it gone. She heard the laughter of her captor as her fingers frantically searched her holster.

"You're a little late," the voice from the earlier phone call—the voice of Julie Marlin—mocked her.

"You don't have long," Sara replied, trying to be calm, but hearing the waver in her own voice. "They know I'm in here."

Julie's response was to grab Sara by her collar and slam her head in to the wall once more. "I've got long enough for what I have in mind."

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Officer Mike Harrison heard the door shut and turned around. He hadn't even heard the house's occupant open the door or greet CSI Sara Sidle. And now there was no one on the stoop. He knew this wasn't good.

He ran back towards the house, putting out a radio call. He knocked loudly on the door, identifying himself as he did so. He stopped and listened but heard no sound coming from inside. Just as he was about to knock again, Nick came up behind Officer Harrison.

"What's going on?" Nick asked, trying to hold his anger.

"I…I was walking towards the other house because we received no answer at the door," Harrison tried to explain. "I thought CSI Sidle was behind me. I didn't even notice she wasn't there until I heard the door shut."

Nick clenched his teeth. "We are in pairs for a reason. You are supposed to keep an _eye_ on each other."

Harrison's only response was to let out a sigh. He knew he had fucked up. There was no denying it now. He stepped back so that Nick could knock on the door.

After a few more minutes of frustration Nick tried to kick the door in. Unfortunately, the crossbar on the inside of the door held and held very tightly. Nick requested a battering ram and then started pray. After what this woman had already done, there was no telling what was happening to at least Sara. He could only hope that Grissom was still alive and in there as well.

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Sara didn't fight Julie as Julie forced her to walk at gunpoint towards an unknown location. Sara figured Julie was going to take her where Grissom was. Then, if Sara thought fast enough, she might be able to save the both of them.

Sara could sense Julie's aggravation as the banging on the door started. Julie's breathing changed, becoming harder and her steps turned heavy. Sara once looked behind her and caught a brief glimpse of Julie's pinched features, but only once. After she had her glimpse, Julie whipped it across Sara's cheek, leaving a gash.

When they reached the door that would inevitably lead to the place of Sara and Grissom's last stand, Sara had a thought. As Julie reached for the door to open it, Sara grabbed the wrist that held the gun. Julie struggled for the first few moments, then opened the door wide and slammed it against Sara. When Sara still didn't let go, Julie hit her with the door a few more times.

Sara moved to get out of the way of the door this time as it came towards her. In doing so, she unexpectedly spun Julie around, causing Julie to be right at the top of the staircase. Sara saw her chance. She kicked Julie in the midsection as hard as she could and watched as Julie tumbled down the stairs.

Sara ran down the stairs in to the darkness below after her, her weapon vanishing from her thoughts. She had to know what state Julie was in. As she reached the bottom, she saw Julie, unmoving, and acted quickly. She pulled out her handcuffs, sliding one around Julie's wrist and the other around the bottom pole of the stair's railing.

"Grissom?" she called as she scanned the room with her flashlight, which caught something odd.

Almost right in from of her was a party scene. Mannequins were dressed in formal close, positioned as if dancing. There was a table set up with what looked like punch and snacks. And through the mannequins, she saw movement.

Sara rushed through them, not caring if she knocked them down, finding what she sought.

"Grissom!" she shouted in relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Normally, he would have accepted such a display of affection, but right now, he was glad to have a friendly face. With his mouth taped shut he wasn't even able to thank her at the moment. Instead, he made a noise to indicate the tape, which Sara had obviously overlooked in her joy.

Sara heard Grissom's grunt and pulled back, finally noticing the tape and removing it. She also noticed the dried blood that was on his cheek.

"Thank you, Sara," Grissom said, flexing his jaw for the first time in hours. "Where's Julie?"

Sara indicated behind her with her head. "I handcuffed her to the stairs," she told him as she moved behind him to untie him. After she had freed his arms, he bent over to untie one of his legs, while Sara got the other.

"Don't move," the voice of Julie Marlin rang out from the darkness.

Both Grissom and Sara froze. Suddenly the lights came on, blinding their eyes, which had become accustomed to the darkness.

"You weren't going to get away _that_ easy," Julie told them, as she appeared before them, Sara's service weapon pointed at them.

"Please, put the weapon down," Grissom calmly replied.

Sara was amazed as his lack of fear. She definitely was not as together as he was, and he was the one that had been subjected to her cruelty. And the thought of his strength started to make hers grow.

"I knew I should have killed you earlier," Julie said to Grissom as she aimed the weapon directly at him.

Sara quickly stepped in front of Grissom. "Come…come on, Julie," Sara started. "It doesn't have to be this way."

Julie laughed, but before she could pull the trigger she was distracted by food steps on the stairs. She turned to face the stairs. The she quickly opened fire.

Sara and Grissom hit the ground, as they knew what was coming from the officers on the stairs. Sara kept her eyes squeezed shut until she heard the bullets stop. When she opened her eyes, Julie Marlin was lying dead on the floor, a pool of blood growing around her. Nick and Catherine rushed over to where Sara and Grissom lay.

"Are you ok?" Nick asked.

"Are you hurt?" Catherine inquired, almost simultaneously.

"I think we're both a little banged up," Grissom was the first to reply.

"I'm…I'm fine," Sara answered after Grissom.

"Good," Nick replied. "Now let's get you out of here."

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Grissom stood outside Sara's hospital room. They were both being held overnight for observation. He watched her as she lay with her eyes closed.

"You can come in," Sara told him, startling him as he didn't realize she was awake.

He gave her a half smile. "I didn't want to disturb you," he replied as he walked towards her.

"For you, I don't mind being disturbed. Just please, don't do any tests!" Sara joked.

Grissom's smile grew as he let out a small laugh. "No tests," he assured her.

"So, what's up?" Sara asked.

Grissom sat down in the chair next to the bed. "I had time to do some thinking," Grissom told her. "Time to think about what was important to me. And the most prominent thought in my mind was that I might die without ever telling you what you mean to me." Grissom grabbed her hand.

"Gil…" Sara said softly. "I know."

"No, Sara, you don't know. But I would like to show you. When we get out of here, would you let me take you to dinner?"

A huge smile crossed Sara's lips. "Anytime, anyplace."


	11. Goodbye

Chapter 11

Gil and Alex sat having dinner a week later. They were sharing stories about the good times they had had. They were laughing so hard tears were streaking down Alex's cheeks.

"Stop, stop," she breathless laughed. "I can't take it anymore!"

Grissom let out another laugh. "Ok, I'll have mercy."

"Thank you, thank you," Alex replied. "Oh, man, this is what I'm going to miss the most."

Grissom abruptly stopped laughing and the smile left his face. "So, you really are going?" Gil asked.

Alex nodded. "It's the right thing to do for everyone."

Gil grabbed Alex's hand. "You don't have to go."

"I know, Gil," Alex assured him. "And I thought about staying, especially after what happened, but I know you have someone else to look after you now," a sly smile spread across her face.

Gil raised a questioning eyebrow. He wondered how she might possibly know.

Alex could read the question written in the lines of his face. "Remember when you asked me to drop some stuff off at your house?" She didn't wait for him to answer and continued, "While I was there, Sara left a message on the answering machine."

Gil was speechless.

"It's ok, I'm not going to tell anyone," she let out a small laugh, trying to break the seriousness.

Gil's tension eased slightly. "It's a new development," was all he could think to say.

"And I'm happy for you. It's about damn time!"

Gil was a little stunned by her comment. "I thought you didn't like Sara?"

Alex crinkled her nose a little bit. "We're not the best of friends, but she is a good person and I know she cares about you."

"Thank you," Gil replied, pleased at Alex's encouragement.

Alex started clearing the dishes. "I'm only sorry I won't be here to bug you about how your dates go."

"I think I will survive without that," Gil playfully replied, getting up to help her.

Alex let out a laugh, but quickly sobered at the thought that this may be the last laugh they share for a while. "I'm going to miss you, dad," she let out as she threw her arms around him.

Gil was surprised by her actions and her words. He didn't miss his chance, though, and returned her embrace. "I'll miss you, too."

Alex tried to quell the tears she felt coming. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Alex," he replied.

She pulled out of the embrace, quickly wiping her eyes. Then she glanced down at her watch. "I better get going," she told him.

"You'll call me when you get there?" Gil asked, not knowing what else to say.

She nodded. "And we'll see each other soon," she added, knowing it was probably a lie.

He gave her a quick hug. "Be safe and know you're always welcome here."

"I know," she responded quietly as she disappeared out the door, her bottom lip quivering. Good-bye was never easy and for some reason, this time seemed the most difficult of all. She walked to her car, not looking back, knowing if she did, she would run right back to Gil's door. And right now, she needed to be anywhere but Las Vegas.

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Gil heard a knock at his door. Thinking it was Alex having forgotten something, he opened the door without looking out the peephole. "What are you doing here?" he asked the person standing in his door way.

"Is Alex still here?" Nick inquired without answering Grissom's question.

"She left about twenty minutes ago," Grissom told him.

Nick's face fell. "Damn," he cursed. "Do you know where she was going?"

Grissom didn't reply.

"Was she going back to her apartment?" Nick inquired, not giving up.

Grissom shook his head. "She was headed out of town."

Nick let out a frustrated grunt, running his hands over his face. Then he turned sharply to go back to his car. "I've got to catch her."

"Let her go," Grissom called after him.

Nick turned around, surprised at Grissom's statement. He wasn't the type of man to interfere. "What?"

"Let her go, Nick. She needs time just as much as you do."

"But," Nick started, but stopped when he realized he was unable to rebut Grissom. Nick knew Grissom was right. Nothing had changed in the last week. He let out a sigh. "How much time?"

"You'll know when it's right," Grissom responded, an odd, knowing smile curving his lips. "You'll know."

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Nick sat on his couch, turning over the small box in his hands. It was something he'd done every day since the day Alex had given the ring back to him. Tonight, he was especially dejected, knowing that Alex was gone, knowing he might never get the chance to give the box's content back to her.

Nick opened the box, looking at the ring. The diamond sparkled in the dim light, reminding him of the light in Alex's eyes. He removed the ring for the first time since he had put it back in the box, remembering how it had looked on Alex's hand. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled at the thought of the look on her face when he had placed it on her finger.

Then Nick made a decision. He would put the past behind him. He wouldn't let it hurt anymore even though he knew he would still think about. He knew he would always love her. And Nick also knew he wanted to focus on the good times. He hoped if he did this, if they met again—when they met again—that he would be ready for her, ready to love her the way she deserved to be loved.

He also hoped he wouldn't be too late. For his future with her was a party he didn't want to miss—even if he was a little late.


	12. Happy Endings Do Exist

Epilogue

Nick pulled in to his driveway. After stopping the car he got out and went around to the passenger side door to open it for her. The tall, blonde woman got out of the car and looped her arm in to his as they made their way up the walk.

"Wow, your house is gorgeous," she told Nick.

Nick stopped in the middle of the walk and looked at her. "Haven't you been here before?"

"I've never been invited before," she laughed.

Nick let out a laugh as well. "I guess I'll just have to fix that. You now have an open invitation to—" Nick stopped as he saw a person come from his porch and walk across his yard.

"Can I help you?" he asked the figure struck him as especially odd since it was July and the figure was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with the hood up, covering the face.

The figure didn't respond and just kept walking. This unsettled Nick, as he had flashes of his former stalker. But as far as Nick knew, he was still in jail. Nick jogged across the yard, grabbing the figure by the shoulder.

"What's the deal, man?" Nick inquired, turning the figure around. When he saw the eyes, he knew immediately who it was. "Alex?"

"The Alex?" the blonde woman asked.

Alex removed Nick's hand from her shoulder. "You're busy, I should go." She started to leave.

Nick lightly grabbed her arm. "Stay, please," Nick requested.

The blonde woman had walked over to where they stood and was now right behind Nick.

"But you have a guest," Alex replied, sounding a little more hurt that she liked.

Nick turned to look at the woman. "Alex, let me introduce you to—"

"I'd rather not," Alex started away again, trying to hide her tears.

The blonde woman stepped around Nick, holding out her hand. "I'm Adrianne Stokes, Nick's sister."

Alex stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at the woman. Now that she had a moment to study Adrianne's face, she recognized the woman from some of Nick's family pictures. "I…I…" Alex didn't know how to respond.

"It's nice to meet you. I've heard wonderful things about you," Adrianne said, forcing her hand into Alex's and shaking it.

"I've heard nice things about you, too," Alex finally responded. Then she looked at Nick.

"Maybe I should let ya'll talk," Adrianne said, walking towards the door. "I'll let myself in," she whispered quietly as she passed Nick and he handed her the keys.

"What are you doing here? How are you?" Nick asked as Adrianne walked away.

"I'm ok," she responded. Suddenly feeling self-conscious standing in the middle of Nick's yard, she added, "Do you want to walk?"

Nick nodded as motioned for her to lead the way.

"How are you?" she asked of him as the started to walk. "You look like you're doing well."

"It's been an interesting five months," Nick replied.

"It always is around the lab, isn't it?" she smiled slightly.

Nick let out a small laugh. "Definitely."

"That's good," she responded and then they both grew quiet.

After a few minutes, Nick broke the silence. "So, you never did say why you were here."

Alex let out a sigh. "I have something I need to tell you."

"What it is?" Nick was a little concerned. After five months of not hearing from her at all he couldn't imagine what she would have to tell him.

"I need to apologize before I tell you," she started. "I never meant to go this long without telling you, but I never heard from you. I was going to tell you the second I heard from you."

Nick frowned slightly. "I tried so many times to call you, to e-mail you, anything. But I just didn't know what to say."

"Hi would have been nice," she responded quietly.

Nick stopped her and turned towards her. He looked directly in her eyes. "Hi," he told her.

She smiled again. "Hi," she replied, putting her hand on his cheek. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed his other hand and put it on her stomach. "Nick, I'm pregnant," she spit out.

Nick's jaw dropped. He had been so stunned to see her; he hadn't even noticed that the sweatshirt was covering her distended stomach. But now, as he looked to where she had placed his hand, it became very obvious. "P-p-pregnant?"

She nodded, her smile growing.

His dropped jaw quickly turned in to the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face. He threw his arms around her and picked her up, spinning her around. Then he carefully placed her back on her feet, remembering her fragile state.

"So you're six and a half months along?" he inquired, after doing some quick math.

"Around there," she said, tears of joy running down her cheeks. She had never expected this response. "You're ok with it?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"The woman I love is having my child, how could I not be ok with it?" Nick responded.

Alex threw her arms around Nick. "I love you, too, Nick," she told him between tears.

Nick savored her embrace, but hastily pulled back. Alex was a little confused until she saw him go to bended knee.

"Alex, would you do me the extreme honor and become my wife?"

Alex was stunned speechless. "But, it's been five months and—"

"And nothing," Nick cut her off. "I asked you once before and I meant. However, I let my pride get in the way of my love for you. In the last five months I promised myself if I ever got the chance, I would never let you get away again."

The tears shone bright in her eyes as she answered him, "Yes, of course. Yes!"

Nick stood up and hugged her again, lifting her off of her feet. Then he kissed her and it was a kiss he'd remember for the rest of his life. The kiss he would remember when things started to go bad. The kiss he would remember on his deathbed. But till then, he would celebrate his life with her.

He started back towards his house, pulling her gently. "Come on," he ordered. "We've got parties to plan!"

She smiled, looking down at their joined hands. "I'm coming," she told him as she started to move forward. And she knew from that moment on, that's what they would always do together—move forward.


End file.
